


Sierra November + Zeus Foundation

by thatdragonchic



Series: Zeus Foundation + Sierra November (Macgyver 2016) [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 19:31:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdragonchic/pseuds/thatdragonchic
Summary: a beautiful marriage between Gav's exfil team and my original covert ops teamhilarity ensues when Thomas has to tell the menacing Jasper Sheriff some bad news





	Sierra November + Zeus Foundation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [altschmerzes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/altschmerzes/gifts).



> For gav, my lovely lovely girl <3

Thomas is sitting in his car, five miles from the small town, on the side of the highway chewing on the iced coffee straw, the nerves getting to him. What does he do? What does he say? How does he tell Jasper? 

His hands are shaking as he picks up the phone, and finds the contact list transferred to him called  _ exfil clients.  _ He finds  _ Angus Macgyver  _ and clicks on the call button. 

“Mac? Hi- hey- hi there, hello,” he greets, and even his voice feels like it’s quivering.

“Hi Tom,” Mac says. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah… uhm actually, I had a bit of a personal question for you.” 

“Okay?” 

“So uhm… I was wondering, if… well… if you were to tell your boyfriend some bad news-”

“How do you know I have a boyfriend? Wait- do you have a boyfriend?”

“Sure. Yes. Uhm… well- I just- okay, if you had a boyfriend, and you were to tell that boyfriend about- well just something he probably wouldn’t want to here, what would you do? Like how would you ease him up?”

“Well… okay, I guess I’d get him the chocolate Raspberry cake from that place he likes off route 9.” Thomas thinks, is he on route 9? If he’s not he’s about to be.

“What’s it called?”

“It’s in Ohio?”

“Oh- right, sorry.” 

“If you messed up bad enough to go to Ohio… shit, I can’t help you.”

“No! I just thought- well, nevermind.”

“So anyways, I guess I’d start with cake,and then… I don’t know, butter him up I guess.”

“Butter him up?”

“Yeah…. I mean… do I need to explain to you how to seduce your boyfriend or…?” 

“Oh! Oh… wait, you seduce your boyfriend when you need to tell him something bad?”

“Thomas just kiss him on the neck a few times, make sure he’s sitting down!”

“Oh- oh my god, okay, I don’t know if- well- okay, I gotta go bye. Thanks for the information.”

He now was trying really hard not to image Macgyver  _ kissing  _ Agent Sheriff on the neck, the idea of the two of them being together was still wildly incomprehensible to him, and he’d really only found out because it was the gossip of the hour, and Meredith couldn’t help but share. 

_ “Apparently they were all over each other after this duel op, one of the agents visiting Phoenix saw them in the halls kissing,”  _ she’d so eagerly relayed, and even then he couldn’t wrap his head around it. Macgyver was so sweet at heart, Jasper was brutally cold.

He takes a deep breath, and looks up his location on the GPS, he was in fact on route 9, and there was in fact a bakery coming up. He takes a deep breath, and for a minute he’s thinking about Jasper Sheriff, standing perfectly still, his hands shaking from the blood loss, torso  _ soaked  _ with a gun to his head, and his head was clearly racing for ideas of escape, an escape that wouldn’t result in his death. (Thomas is certain that Jasper Sheriff would never let himself die on an op). He had been so poised, so unafraid seeming, that even severely wounded, he wasn’t afraid. 

_ Nothing scares me, and you and I both know you can’t kill me.  _ Jasper’s warning before Thomas himself had shot the man in the arm, making him curl and drop the gun, had been bone chilling. Thomas had never heard someone be so certain of his own ability to survive, and for others to be so willing to comply. Thomas watched that man  _ doubt  _ his own ability to kill Jasper, like suddenly he forgot who the villain of this situation was. 

He has no idea what to expect when he sees him, and he can’t shake Jasper’s cold, rasping voice from his head, telling him that nothing scares Jasper Sheriff. He wonders if he’ll laugh when he tells him that he’s being charged with Murder, and somehow Thomas was called in for interrogation about him. 

He pulls into the bakery parking lot, and shakes his head to clear it. God, this was going to be tough. He knows it is. He’s half convinced Agent Sheriff’s house is going to be a steel apartment complex. A real cold, dark place. Maybe a lone house at the end of the street, with faded wood exterior, very dark and cramped on the inside. He’s really afraid of finding out. 

The bakery is nice though, and the cake that was requested is on display. A big, raspberry chocolate cake. Exquisitely decorated, pristine and perfect, and a whopping 40 dollars for the whole thing. Thomas pays it out of pocket. 

 

\- Jasper Sheriff’s House - 

Thomas is shocked to find the house is as beautiful and lush as it is. A squat, brick cottage, with bushes of flowers lining the cobble walkway, taking over what might have once been a lawn, riddled with fruit trees, and bird houses, and life. His door was an earthy blue, the kind that you find deep in the forest, on the thick, waxy leaves that grow there. It was decked with specks of gold glitter, an unexpected embellishment. 

He had a fine vintage knocker, and a beautiful, deco doorbell. Thomas was almost convinced this wasn’t the right house. That maybe he was at the wrong house, but the address was right, and the houses around were too big, and too lavish to belong to just one person. There’s a note under the doorbell, he notices before ringing.  _ Jasper is bed ridden right now, please just come in and announce yourself.  _ Shit. 

He opens the door and is greeted by the heartwarming scent of a home cooked meal. And Jasper… complaining?

“I’m just saying America  _ needs  _ me, and I’m stuck on the couch!”

“Jas-”

“I hate this couch!”

“You love that couch!”

“No, it’s oppressing me! I am miserable, I refuse to sit on it anymore. I will  _ die  _ if I have to sit on it another-!”

“Oh no!” Julius gasps, suddenly leaning on Jasper. “Gravity! Weighing down on me! Increasing!” he says, pushing back his weight on Jasper until inevitably they collapse to the couch, Jasper  _ whining  _ the entire way down, and then grunting as Julius inevitably lands on top of him, and his wounds.

“Ow!”

“I had no choice.”

“What a jerk.”

“Uhm… Uh… Hi?” Thomas greets, walking in fully, glancing back to make sure he’d shut the door. 

“Timothy! From Sierra Nevada, right? The exfil team. Come in, sit down, there’s plenty of room on this couch.”

“You’re not moving from the couch.”

“Don’t burn the tamales,” Jasper says, shooing Julius away, even so much as childishly sticking his tongue out at him. 

“You’re the worst injured. Also, hello  _ Thomas  _ from Sierra  _ November _ .”

“No! I mean yes, I mean, he can call me whatever he wants- I don’t- I’m not particular.”

“You’re not particular about your name?”

“No… well… not with agents. I don’t expect you guys to uhh… I got you cake.”

“You did? Oh let me see,” he says eagerly. “I love cake, I love to bake cake, I love to eat cake. I hate to work out to burn off the cake, but it has to be done you know?”

“Yeah…” he says, offering him the box and Jasper gasps.

“I love this place! How’d you know?”

“Uhh great intuition I guess…”

Thomas was nearly shaking, he could liquify if Jasper looked at him again. Which he did, smiling as he looked up. “Thank you, by the way, for saving me. I’m pretty sure I was a goner that night.”

“You… were? I think that guy was scared of you.”

Jasper laughs. “I was scared out of my mind. I don’t think I’d have made it without you. Thank you.”

“You’re… You’re welcome,” Thomas says softly, smiling a bit, and Jasper smiles sweet as sunshine. Was this even the same guy? “Did you want me to help you to the kitchen.”

Jasper almost agrees before going, very loudly, “I can’t go to the kitchen because I’m glued to the couch.”

“Ignore him, Tom,” Julius calls back. 

Thomas looks between the direction of the hallway and Jasper who looks dismayed. “I didn’t take you for the type to be so… bratty when sick.”

Jasper laughs. “This is my least favorite thing in the whole world. Besides, my boyfriend is way worse.”

Thomas knew he was dating Mac but hearing Jasper talk about dating a boy (dating  _ anyone _ ) seemed very left field for him. “In general?”

“What? No, when he’s sick. In general he’s an angel on earth, but god forbid he was sick or upset, well you will never hear the end of it.”

“Huh… You assimilated.”

“I guess.. Sit down,” Jasper says, taking a deep breath before he moves forward to put the cake down. Thomas doesn’t get in his way, but he can tell Jasper is hurt. Moving makes him turn a little more pale, and he winces slightly, releases a breath upon laying back down. He has to just breathe a moment. Oh, how it hurt to see. Thomas almost wanted to cry, Jasper Sheriff seemed like so… indestructible, but now he seemed so entirely destroyed.

Julius peaks in, offers him an ice pop and Jasper takes it. He offers Thomas one too, and Thomas smiles. He only really liked the not citrusy ones, and well, this one looked orange on the inside. Jasper opens his and well, he suddenly realizes that Jasper is quite attractive, when he’s not scowling at the nearest offender, or covered in blood… actually, no, he might be attractive then too- and is he really so terrified he’s starting to find Jasper attractive? 

Shit. 

Jasper reaches for Julius before he goes, and in a very quick witted French, says something to him, Julius laughs briefly and goes back to the kitchen. “Come on, bring the cake to the kitchen,” he says to Thomas. 

He then stops and turns back and offers his hand to Jasper. “I can handle sitting in a chair,” Jasper says and Julius nods. Thomas watches them as Julius helps Jasper up and he realizes how soft the felt couches look, how they were a pastel purple, so light that they were almost grey. The floors were wood, but covered in elaborate carpet, he was currently standing on a giant, plush cotton one. It was stylish, and the walls were a vibrant, deep yellow.

He takes the cake and pauses as he sees a picture by the door frame, of the Zeus Team dressed up and out having a great time it seemed. A nice summer day, even, by a big fountain in a city somewhere. They all looked so happy, and he must admit, he’s not used to thinking about his agents being real people, with real lives, with brightly colored houses and plants. It had never once occurred to him who Jasper Sheriff might be in his private life.

That doesn’t mean the man scares him any less. 

He walks into the kitchen, Jasper getting settled in one of the spacious table chairs, each one adorned with pillows that had small inspirational quotes on them. The one he was sitting on was rainbow colored. 

“You okay?” Julius asks, and Thomas nods. He puts the cake in front of him, and opens it. Jasper is still working on his ice pop. 

“Strong intuition, that’s my favorite cake in the whole wide world,” he says, and Thomas notes that he has a… southern accent? Was that always there? “What?” he asks, his brow raising and Thomas is sure his heart stops, he wanted to drop  _ dead _ . His palms were beginning to sweat. 

“I just… maybe I’ve never heard you talk much, i never… i never realized you had an accent?”

“Oh, yeah, it only really comes out when I’m comfortable.”

“Has Mac texted you about when he’s coming?” Julius asks. 

“Saturday,” Jasper informs, rather woefully at that. “Well, sit down, Tom. You ever take a rest? Why don’t I make us some coffee-”

“Sit,” Julius says sternly to Jasper who stays, and continues sucking on his popsickle. Thomas sneaks over to the freezer and puts his back, they both see him do it, but neither comment on it. “I’ll make coffee.”

Thomas sits down across from Jasper who’s closed the cake box, ice pop sucked into his mouth between hollow cheeks. He tries not to think about it too much, because he really was sure it was just the adrenaline talking. 

“You were convicted of Murder, the police of Chicago PD are after you as we speak, trying to locate you.”

Jasper looks up at him, slowly removing the ice pop from his mouth, his eyes narrowing in speculation. “What?” 

“They somehow traced me back to you, I was in an interrogation room, denying that I’d ever seen you before. But… I think they might be hot on your trail.”

“What's their stance?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t get to see the whole thing.”

Jasper nods slowly, and Thomas can feel his eyes boring into him, a cold speculation falling over them. “Thomas… I need to know everything you know.” The accent was gone now. 

“It’s not much.”

“I’m listening.”

Thomas takes a deep breath, watching the bubbly and sweet exterior reveal itself by dripping onto the floor and becoming acid. 

“They… called me in, and showed me a picture before the op… the one a few days ago. Consequently, just as you had passed through the back of the building, a murder had happened. You were spotted with a gun, you look like a professional that might have worked in the building… they were asking me how I knew you, if… we were friends. I didn’t tell them anything, I swear.”

“How did they trace  _ you  _ back to me.”

“I had grab your car, we couldn’t leave it on sight.”

“Right.”

Jasper nods. Julius has already grabbed the phone, requesting Director Dallas make his way down there.

 

\- 1 hour later, Thomas wants to project himself into an astral plane of existence - 

 

Thomas was exiting the bathroom as Director Dallas was in the living room, desperately pacing. Jasper was emerging from his room with fresh guaz, pulling his shirt on.

“Why’d you tell me?” he asks.

“What?”

“I’m not your friend.”

“I… I don’t know, honestly. I just… I knew y-you had to know.” the way Jasper was peering at him, like he was trying to pull out every thought from his head was unnerving. He nods, accepting the answer, and walking slowly to the kitchen, where he pulls out a pack of cigarettes and offers one to Thomas, who kindly declines.

“Didn’t take you for a smoker- who’s your director on the phone with?”

“CIA, I did a series of interrogations for about a year, gave me a PhD in criminal psychology for it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’d you interrogate?” He was curious now. Jasper laughs, lighting the cigarette between his teeth. 

“Shit, whole bunch of traitors: CIA, FBI, Deep Cover, even some from the army. Actually… I think once I was meant to interrogate your team about-”

“Did you interrogate Nikki Carpenter?” 

“Yes, we don’t talk about it though.”

“Because you’re banging Mac?”

“Excuse me?”

He realizes it as soon as Jasper snaps, and gasps, hand flying over his mouth. “That was out of place, I’m so sorry.”

Jasper rolls his eyes. “If you  _ must  _ know, the answer is no, it’s not because I’m  _ committed  _ to Mac.”

“Right…” he says softly, but he realizes that the southern accent has creeped back in. Was Agent Sheriff comfortable with him? “Sorry.”

“You can ask about anybody else though.”

“Like who?”

Jasper thinks, before shrugging. “God, they were all so interesting.”

“Except Nikki?” he asks softly, and Jasper raises a brow, and he gives a sort of smirk.

“Oh  _ no  _ , You are not worming that story out of me. She was a hellish woman and I refuse to speak any more about it. How about instead, I tell you about the crazy CIA agent who tried to murder her partner.”

“Please.” Thomas was fascinated, and just as suddenly as he felt excluded from Jasper’s world, he is suddenly thrown into his wild, wild kingdom. It was the most amazing 45 minute conversation of his  _ entire life.  _

The appeal hits him, Jasper talked fast, and had a southern charm… no it was more than that. He was charismatic, and he told his stories like he was living them in real time. His eyes gleamed, and his made big notions out of the words he spoke. Thomas found himself awed at the agent. And a little less scared. 

“Jasper,” Director Dallas says, and Jasper sits up straight suddenly. “The CIA said they’ll cover for you.” 

Jasper slumps in relief before wincing a bit. “Oh, thank god,” he says. Thomas can’t help but laugh. 

“So… they’re not going to convict him?”

“That’s their end of the bargain to uphold. Even if they do end up arresting Jasper first, they vouched to step in and take care of everything.”

Thomas nods, and Jasper pulls him into a tight hug. “You’re the best exfil agent ever, if you were a retail worker, I would tell your manager to promote you.” Thomas laughs, hugging him back, awkwardly. He thinks it’s all euphoria, and suddenly he pulls away from Jasper who seems a bit confused.

“Don’t tell Mac.”

“Why?”

“I told him I was having boyfriend trouble. Not that he would be having boyfriend trouble.”

The group laughs, and Julius pats his back. “He fits right in, don’t you think?”

Jasper shrugs, and Thomas takes it that it was good as anything. “Huh… kinda makes sense that you’re gay,” he says after a minute. 

Thomas takes a deep breath, and okay, caught! He was still terrified of Jasper. He laughs awkwardly. “Got me!” he says, and Jasper laughs. 

“Yeah, but if I ever meet your boyfriend, I won’t tell him you were staring. Or mine, for that matter.”

_ Shit.  _

\--

He’s driving back to the airport, in the car, with Meredith on the phone.

“I just- I didn’t think I screamed gay or anything!”

“Literally… or…?”

“What?”

“Well, you’re just so awkward I wouldn’t be surprised if realizing you think Jasper Sheriff is hot lead you to yelling out  _ gay!  _ At the top of your lungs.”

“No, I did not yell gay at the top of my lungs.”

“Were you actually watching him suck on a lollipop?”

“Popsicle. And not intentionally!”

“Do I really look gay?”

“What’s it matter. You’re bi.”

“Yeah but- he just kinda went figures, I won’t tell your boyfriend.”

“You don’t have a boyfriend. Or a love life, Thomas- oh I have to go, Lucia’s calling. We’ll talk about your crush on Jasper Sheriff when you get home. Byee Thomas.”

“This conversation isn’t- I’m going to kill her when I get home…  And I don’t like Jasper!”


End file.
